this really is a sorely needed feature. vi/vim's lack of "seeking" was really one of the main reasons why i switched to emacs. emacs has a really nice seek, which is just ctrl+s and type whatever you are searching for w/o you needing to hit enter, and you are there. then ctrl+s again to the next match or ctrl+r for reverse.

anyhow, i don't use vim anymore but when i do, i'll give it a shot. i know i can't live without seeking, it's such an important part of your arsenal.